About this project

$10,353

pledged of $10,000 goal

108

backers

Monica Bill Barnes & Company is a New York based dance company whose life dream (well, one of them) was to work in public radio. This dream came true on May 10, 2012 when we performed in This American Life Live!: a live performance of the popular radio show hosted by Ira Glass that was beamed into movie theaters all over the country. It was one heck of a show, and afterwards Irahad the idea to do an encore performance featuring a full evening of dance by MBB & CO. NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Artsinvited the company back for this extraordinary event on October 20th and 21st. We're thrilled about these shows, and we're putting together some of our recent pieces along with the NYC premier of a new work into one jam-packed evening of entertainment hosted again by the inimitable Ira Glass.

What could be better, right? Well there is a small catch - putting this incredible show together is expensive. When Ira agreed to be the host for our big show, we decided we had to go for broke. So we're pulling out all of the stops to create the show we've been dreaming of for years. It's ambitious, it's crazy, it's spectacular, and we need your help to pull it off. Your donations will go directly towards everything involved in this big night - from the people to the props to the pizazz, your contribution will help us make this our biggest, most mind-blowing, jaw-dropping, spectacular show yet.

Thanks for considering giving towards the dreams of MBB & CO!

Monica Bill Barnes and Anna Bass. Photo by Adrianne Mathiowetz.

Ira and MBB & CO. in This American Life Live! Photo by Adrianne Mathiowetz.

Monica Bill Barnes & Company is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt, 501 (c) (3) organization incorporated and registered in the State of New York. Contributions to MBB & CO. are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. For more information and to receive a receipt of your contribution for tax purposes, please select "contact me" on the right side of this page and forward your name and mailing address to receive appropriate tax documentation.

Risks and challenges

Some specifics from Monica:

This production and the new work we will be showing are the most ambitious things I have attempted in my entire career, but this is the right moment to take a big risk and make this show exactly what it should be: a huge, magical dance show with over 100 pounds of confetti, batons, wind machines, headdresses, live music and a rain curtain (if you don't know what that is, come to the show and find out).

Needless to say, with this huge show comes huge risk.

Risk 1: We need to sell the show out completely simply in order to pay for the production costs of running the show. Every single seat has to have an audience butt in it. This is the biggest house (850 seats!) we have ever tried to sell out.

Risk 2: We are attempting at least 12 new production ideas ranging from dropping a 50-foot rain curtain from the ceiling to creating a confetti storm with 4 industrial wind machines. The production elements (sets, costumes, etc.) cost more than anything I have done before.

Risk 3: We have four performers, two designers and a big crew to pay. I believe in paying artists well for their time and work. Despite working with a small budget, I refuse to consider lowering the artist’s fees. I am honored to work with brilliant performers and designers and I am committed to paying them accordingly.

So I am asking for your support.

This show is the culmination of 3 years of work. We have been in production and on the road developing this evening of work and I am so excited to share it with the world. Your support makes an enormous difference in our ability to step up and make the most of this amazing opportunity. It is an extremely hopeful act to donate to an art form that only lasts for a few hours in performance and as a fleeting image in our memories. Yet the experience we can create is what makes live performance magical. Your support is critical, and now is the time to give. You can become a part of our dream and help us create a new idea of performance that builds on all we have done so far.

FAQ

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Select this reward

Pledge $50 or more
About $50

A signed program from the big show! - MBB & CO. and Ira Glass will sign programs while hanging out backstage during tech and drop them in the mail to you along with a load of goodwill and our heartfelt thanks.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $1,000 or more
About $1,000

All above perks plus a pair of free tickets to MBB and CO.'s Kennedy Center debut in Washington, DC. on May 8th or 9th, 2013 (one performance only) - The confetti train will head south and we'd love to have you with us!